Morning Rituals
by BlackPuma137
Summary: A person's morning ritual can tell you a lot about them-just how much Ariadne and Arthur have changed each other.
1. Pull Shapes

**Morning Ritual**

**Ariadne: Before Inception**

_Author's Note: Lyrics for Pull Shapes belong to The Pipettes, I'm not trying to claim it as my own. It's best if you listen to it while you go; the lyrics don't convey as much as I thought. Any better song suggestions for Ariadne would be greatly loved; I searched forever but I can't find the right one. I think it would be either a British song like this, or an indie rock. _

_ Can't...open...eyes..._Ariadne reluctantly pries her eyes open. _Remember, you love college. You love architecture. Love, love, love it. _She's staring at the ceiling for another ten minutes, trying to adjust herself to reality, and rolls over reluctantly to take a peek at the alarm clock (she knows it's probably not going to be good). Alas, she sees she actually has no excuse for being late this time.

Another sigh. She sits up, takes another five minutes to adjust, and reluctantly shuffles to her kitchenette area. (At times like these, she wishes she had a wicked roommate who'd have coffee and breakfast ready already.) Along the way, she stops at the stereo and turns up her music up almost as loud as it can go.

_Dance with me, pretty boy tonight  
Dance with me, and we'll be alright  
There's a whole floor before us, just for you and me,  
So follow my lead, and we'll 1-2-3_

She savors each swallow of coffee, concentrating on how the beat of the music pulses through her, until she's to the bottom of the cup (_You awful dregs...can't you have liquidized? A little more coffee would be nice...) _and realizes she's only got ten minutes left until her first lecture.

_Pull Shapes,  
I like to Disco  
I like to Rock n' Roll  
Well I like to Hip-Hop  
We can do it all, just don't let the music stop _

Eyes widened, and body buzzing with the hype of caffeine, she races to the bathroom, twists her hair up into the semblance of a bun, and drags a toothbrush through her teeth (_Two minutes...two seconds...what's the difference?)_. As she releases a mouthful of mouthwash, she washes her faces swiftly.

_Pull Shapes,  
I lead with my left hand  
I stomp with my right foot  
Well I just wanna freak out  
I just wanna move, I don't care what the song's about_

As she turns the corner into her bedroom, she croons along with the song, singing with the glee of someone who can be best described as tone deaf (though perhaps a dying, caterwauling cat would best fit as a description).

_What do you do when the music stops?  
Pull Shapes  
Clap your hands if you want some more,  
Pull Shapes _

By far the longest part of her morning is not putting on makeup (a swift dash of mascara and Burt's Bees is all that's done in the bathroom), or even choosing an outfit; it's which scarf to wear that day. She hmm's over a red one, ahh's over a purple, but as the chorus goes by

_(__Dance with me, pretty boy tonight  
Dance with me, and we'll be alright  
There's a whole floor before us, just for you and me,  
So follow my lead, and we'll 1-2-3  
Pull Shapes)_

it's final: it's going to be one of her favorites. A soft gray one, with frayed strings and links of faded metal falling down and studs of metal on the sides. She sweeps it up and ties it around her neck afghan style, then glances at the clock. Five minutes until lecture time. "Shit," she curses, and races toward the door, opening it only to find her best friend leaning against the doorway with a gleam in her eyes.

"Early again, Ariadne, aren't we?" Her friends grins.

"Oh shut up," Ariadne smirks.

"Mind shutting up that stereo?"

Ariadne laughs, and hops back inside to shut off. A minute later, she's back outside, grabbing her bike and racing her friend to the metro.


	2. Animal I Have Become

**Arthur: Before Inception**

_Author's Note: This song is the brilliant Animal I Have Become by Three Day's Grace. I encourage you to listen to it while you read; I think it really applies to Arthur (and how Ariadne changes him). I don't claim to own it at all and am not profiting from it. _

The dream hasn't yet collapsed, but it's been overdue. _What the hell is going on?_ Thinks Arthur as he hears a strange ringing sound. _This isn't supposed to happen. What's going on? Did Cobb use a new sedative that I didn't know about? _As the ringing gets louder and louder, Arthur begins to panic. _Is this a shared dream? What's happening? _He reaches for his pocket, trying to grab his totem.

His sweaty hands pull out the slippery dice, but as he tries to roll them, the dream began to collapse, and he can't find a safe surface. Finally, across the way, he spots a flat slab; one where he can roll the die without having the results compromised. He sprinted, as fast as he could, but just as he was reaching out a hand to roll the die, one slipped and fell. He watched, as if in slow motion, as the die slowly rolled under a pile of rubble. The dream's collapse was swiftly rolling toward him, so he dived, time slowing down, until, with a gasp of triumph, his hands closed around the dice. He looked up—only to see a ton of rubble flying toward him, faster and faster-

* * *

With a gasp, Arthur sits bolt upright in his bed, cold sweat running down his face. He glances to his side, where a persistent, whiny alarm was ringing. He grimaces, reaches out, and slams his hand into the alarm.

With a sigh of relief, he stands, and quickly begins to assess his levels of lucidity and which muscles seemed to be lagging behind today. _Military training at it's best, _he thinks. He turns once more to his nightstand before leaving the bedroom—grabbing a pair of dice from under the pillow and nodding as they landed on the six. He rolls it three more times; he had his third dream of the year last night and he has to be sure.

He wanders into his hotel's kitchenette area, grabbing an apple from the bag of groceries he had fetched from the night before, and puts on his favorite song on the stereo. (He doesn't like the artificiality of the coffee this early in the morning; and as a former solider he was used to not having it.)

_So what if you can see the darkest side of me  
No one will ever change this animal I have become  
Help me believe it's not the real me  
Somebody help me tame this animal!  
This animal, this animal _

Letting his shoulders relax as he feels the song's beat roll through him, he proceeds about his morning ritual mechanically and methodically as he strides into the bathroom.

Brush teeth thoroughly for three minutes. Floss for two minutes. Swish mouthwash for thirty seconds, forty-five if necessary. Splash cold water, approximately 45 degrees, on face. Comb hair—blow dry shortly if still wet from last night's shower. Apply gel. Apply deodorant. Shave. Apply aftershave. Spritz cologne swiftly, to ensure there isn't an overwhelming smell.

_I can't escape myself  
So many times I've lied  
But there's still rage inside  
Somebody get me through this nightmare  
I can't control myself _

Gather the day's clothing from suitcase. Iron if needed. Change. Pack suitcase, wipe down hotel room, and organize papers in his briefcase. Send confirmation of time to Cobb on phone.

As he walks out the door, he checks his tie one last time in the mirror. Straight—just so. He wants to sigh, and for a moment he realizes he wants to stay in the hotel room for a few days. A few months, even. Bring a girl back to his place. Not worry about having fingerprints in it, about having to wipe down everything he touches.

_So what if you can see the darkest side of me  
No one will ever change this animal I have become  
Help me believe it's not the real me  
Somebody help me tame this animal I have become _

He realizes he wishes he doesn't have to do this alone. He doesn't want to run anymore. He doesn't want to get by illegally, work constantly under radar and worry about people owning his ass.

_I can't escape this hell  
So many times I've tried  
But I'm still caged inside  
Somebody get me through this nightmare  
I can't control myself _

As he gazes into the mirror, Arthur suddenly realizes he's forgotten his iPod. He yanks it and his connection cable out of the penthouse's stereo, tucks it in his briefcase, and makes his way to the hotel lobby to check out. He has no time for fantasies.

_Help me believe it's not the real me  
Somebody help me tame this animal!  
This animal I have become _


	3. I Will Follow You Into the Dark

**Arthur & Ariadne: After Inception**

_Author's Note: The songs are I Will Follow You Into the Dark by Death Cab for Cutie, Untouched by The Veronicas, and Time for Pretend by MGMT respectively. I don't claim ownership for anything except this idea. _

Arthur wakes just as the alarm reaches the chorus. He sits up, rubbing his face as the song Ariadne set the alarm to gently washes over him.

_Love of mine some day you will die_

_But I'll be close behind_

_I'll follow you into the dark_

He grins at her song choice, so very Ariadne, and begins the hunt for his underclothes (they always ended up in strange places, both his and hers' underclothes). She always knows exactly how to show him how much she cares for him...despite the fact that he would prefer she'd be with someone that's better than him, that can keep her more from danger.

_If there's no one beside you_

_When your soul embarks_

_Then I'll follow you into the dark_

Finally, he finds his boxers under the covers, by Ariadne's feet. He grabs them and shimmies them on, but then finds the perfect way to wake her—she always sets the alarm to songs that she knows she won't hear as she sleeps in defiance. Grinning with anticipation, he disappears under the covers, and grabs her feet, tickling her soles. He peeks out from under the covers—there's definitely a twitching smile on her face. He places his elbows on either side of her stomach and leans on them so that his head is lying on her stomach.

"Ariadne," he chants, slightly sing-song. "Ariadne...Come on, baby, time to wake up."

Her eyelids flutter, and she moans. "Mmm...just a minute more."

"Nuh-uh, sleepy head. It's already five minutes since the alarm."

"Mmm...why don't you listen to the song more...lemme sleep," Ariadne says, still in a sleep state.

Arthur listens for a bit, lets the lyrics wash over him again...

_ (You and me have seen everything to see_

_From Bangkok to Calgary_

_And the soles of your shoes are all worn down_

_The time for sleep is now_

_It's nothing to cry about_

_Cause we'll hold each other soon_

_The blackest of rooms)_

...but since the song relapses back into the lyrics he already knows, he reaches a long arm up to Ariadne's nightstand and shuts the clock off.

"Wakey-wakey," Arthur crows triumphantly.

Ariadne sighs, putting her hands over her face. "Why did I decide to let a morning person come live with me?"

"Because you love me, darling, and because we're going to be late if you don't wake up soon. We have an extraction to work on, remember? Cobb's going to be waiting on us."

Ariadne moans, and begins a retort, when Arthur suddenly grabs her hands and pulls them away from her face, then leans in. Ariadne, sensing his proximity, opens her eyes with a slight gasp. Arthur leans in closer and closer, until his face is centimeters away from hers, and stops. "Ariadne," he breathes, and leans in even closer.

She closes his eyes, anticipating his kiss, when she feels that suddenly he stops. Her eyes fly open, finding his own eyes, alight with mischief and desire.

"You," he whispered. She nods, swallows loudly. "Have to get up!" he crows, leaving Ariadne groaning.

He leaps out of bed, pulling the covers off of them and letting the morning chill of Paris seep into their bed.

"Ar_thur_!" whined a disappointed Ariadne. "I hate you!"

"Hate is a passionate emotion," mocks Arthur. "I think I can live with that."

He turns to saunter off to the bathroom, but Ariadne is faster, and grabs his arm. She scurries to the end of the bed, and pulls him down so they're both kneeling in the bed. She mimicks what he'd done to her, except this time she pulls him into a deep, passionate kiss that has him wishing he hadn't been so rash. They both pull apart panting.

"Come to bed with me?" Ariadne murmurs.

Arthur grins. "You vixen!"

"I try," is all Ariadne is able to get out before Arthur pulls her down into bed. It only lasts a few minutes, though, because suddenly Arthur gets a text.

"Babe, it's probably work," Arthur says, as Ariadne pulls away from his face and works on his neck."I have to get this," he says, trying to work through his panting.

"Oh come on, let it go to voicemail," Ariadne pleaded, but Arthur pulls away, reaching for his nightstand, fumbling for his phone.

_ "_Hey, Cobb, what's up?"

_"Just wanted to make sure you were coming in today."_

"Well, yeah, that was the plan, why?"

But Arthur no longer heard the rest of Cobb's phone call, as Ariadne had reclaimed his attentions, kissing him ardently.

To his credit, Arthur tried. He mmmhmm'd and ahh'd, but after a while it was all he could do to stop from moaning into the phone.

_"Umm, Arthur, did I catch you at the wrong time?"_

Ariadne started laughing, breaking away from Arthur, who came out gasping. "Umm, no, Cobb, Ari and I should be there soon enough."

_"Umm, okay,"_ said Cobb, clearly amused. _"See you then." _

Arthur sighed with relief, but only just was able to close his cell before Ariadne leaped on him again; leaving Arthur to pull away again with reluctance.

"Mm, Ari, as much as I would like to continue this, we have to be at the warehouse in a half hour," he protested.

With that, he began to climb out of bed again. Ari pouted, and what with her clenching the sheets and her hair everywhere in an extremely enticing way, it took all of Arthur's willpower to get to the bathroom and begin to wash up for the morning.

As he began his bathroom rituals, going through his methodical routine—brush teeth, floss, mouthwash, wash face, etc.-Ari sighed back in the bedroom, and wandered to the stereo in the living room (still wrapped in sheets). She clicked her iPod in place in her iHome (one of the few things she actually bought since the Fisher job) and began on coffee and breakfast, flipping through songs as she aspired to find the perfect one for this morning.

As she settled into her tasks, she couldn't help but start laughing at her choice for this morning, and began to sing along with the chorus extra-loud; hoping Arthur would hear it in the bathroom.

_Give me give me give me all of you, you_

_Don't be scared_

_I'll see you through the loneliness of one more more more_

_Don't even think about what's right or wrong, wrong or right_

_'Cause in the end it's only you and me and no one else is gonna be around_

_To answer all the questions left behind _

As she neared the end of the stance, she suddenly heard a delightfully husky whisper near her ear. "Baby, don't tempt me too much. It's hard enough not to take you just now, right against the counter."

"And what if that's just what I wanted?" teased Ariadne, in an equally husky murmur. Large hands abruptly spun her around, and her mouth was suddenly against Arthur's in an urgent tango of lust. Ariadne felt Arthur left her onto the counter, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, eliciting a groan from him.

_I feel so untouched_

_And I want you so much_

_That I just can't resist you_

_It's not enough to say that I miss you_

_I feel so untouched right now_

_Need you so much somehow_

_I can't forget you_

_Been going crazy from the moment I met you_

Yet, just as things got interesting, Arthur's cell phone let it's presence become known. Arthur broke away from Ariadne again. "Darling, I have to..."

"Mmm, you do."

More frantic touching, kissing.

"We have to go."

"We have things to do. Important things."But their dissuasive arguments become merely words, lost in their passion.

As the cell kept ringing, though, Arthur sighed. "I really should get this."

He leaned his forehead against hers, and as they both began to cool off, Arthur moved away from Ariadne, who leapt down from the counter and reached for her iHome remote, hoping there to find a less provocative sound. She settled into her job of preparing coffee and breakfast again, leaving Arthur to deal with his call in the bedroom, as MGMT's Time to Pretend began. She had to start laughing occasionally, though, at how fitting this song was to her and Arthur's new life together.

_This is our decision, to live fast and die young_

_We've got the vision, now let's have some fun_

_Yeah, it's overwhelming, but what else can we do?_

_Get jobs in offices, and wake up for the morning commute?_

She was so immersed in her task, however, that when she had finally got the plates and breakfast settled, she realized that she only had ten minutes to get ready.

She started to fly about the house—gathering underclothes and clothes from the night before, digging through the laundry and her side of her closet for her clothes trying to find some clean clothes, straggling for the right outfit, bursting randomly into the bathroom to find make-up and other random articles needed.

Arthur was left unshaken, however, as he continued shaving, combing and gelling his hair, calmly walking through the mess of their bathroom to find and pull on his impeccably ironed suit (this wasn't the first time that Ariadne was late).

Ariadne, however, was revolving around him like a wobbly, whirring planet does around a constant sun, getting halfway through a ponytail before absentmindedly running to find a scarf, for example. She was still rinsing her mouth after a two-second brushing of her teeth (_Do you really need two minutes? _She thought) when Arthur called out from the hallway.

"Coming!" She yelled to him.

She gave herself one last glance in the mirror before grinning and joining Arthur at the door.

As she pulled on her shoes, Arthur straightened his tie out in the mirror next to the door.

As Ariadne finished, she walked over to the iHome and shut off her iPod. For the first time that hour, there was total silence—a calming pocket of peace in the otherwise busy, crammed, eccentric apartment.

Ariadne walked back over to Arthur, grabbing her jacket from the coat rack.

"Ready to go?" She turned toward him, watching as he grinned at his reflection, then as turned his head and grinned at her.

"Yeah, what about you?" he teased. She narrowed her eyes, looking at him critically—but he wasn't fooled; as there was a dangerously mischievous look in her eyes.

Finally, she stepped toward him and kissed him, gently and chastely, tugging on his tie.

She stepped back, narrowed her eyes critically again, then nodded, breaking out into a grin. "Yeah, I'm ready."

She watched as Arthur looked back into the mirror, touching his askew tie with amusement.

He looked back at her, grinning. "You know, there was a time, not so long ago, where this would have driven me crazy."

Ariadne raised an eyebrow. "Good thing I've already driven you bananas, huh?"

Arthur smirked. "Yes," he agreed, very seriously, and led her out of the apartment and into the Parisian streets to their warehouse.


End file.
